Hollow wall anchors
allow you to install items like towel bars to a wall when a structural stud does not lie beneath the wallboard. Intended for use with gypsum-type wallboard, plastic anchors expand, when installed correctly, to hold the wall screw in place using pressure. Toggle bolt anchors provide one or more wings that fold out after insertion to hold the screw in place. While hollow wall anchors have their place in hanging relatively lightweight objects, they also have their limitations.
Plastic Hollow Wall Anchors
Plastic wall anchors have two parts: a plastic sleeve that you insert into a predrilled hole in the wall and a screw that installs in the center of the plastic sleeve. This anchor depends upon the pressure of the screw pushing the ribbed plastic sleeve tightly against gypsum for holding power. A common problem with this type of anchor occurs if you drill the hole too large, reducing the pressure of the plastic sleeve against the gypsum. The hole must be slightly smaller than the plastic sleeve, which will contract when you tap the sleeve into the hole with a hammer.
Toggle-Type Hollow Wall Anchors
Designed for heavier loads, toggle-type wall anchors feature either a double- or a single-wing flap that folds out or snaps out after you insert the anchor. The wings extend along the interior of the wallboard, bracing the toggle from pulling out easily. If a toggle-type bolt is not installed correctly, the wings can begin folding out while still in the inner part of the gypsum wall, bending the wings and trapping the anchor. Toggle-type anchors are difficult to remove from the wall and may require you to punch the head of the toggle through the wall and then repair the hole with drywall compound.
Weight Limits
No matter what type of hollow wall anchor you install, it is only as strong as the gypsum wall. Gypsum wall panels are made of tightly compressed gypsum particles. Once disturbed, the particles can crumble, especially if the wall was ever wet. Hanging heavy pictures or shelves may cause the gypsum to crumble and the anchor to pull out of the wall.
Adding Security
For additional security, when you're installing plastic sleeve anchors, you can squirt a couple drops of silicone caulking into the predrilled hole before tapping the plastic sleeve in place. While the caulking won't work miracles, the silicone adds adhesion power to the sleeve, making it slightly more difficult to pull out.
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